Oyster tongs



y 15, 1952 R. TENNIS 2,603,526

OYSTER TONGS Fild Jan. 22, 1949 lnvenial; 49 R. e]; Tennis A llorneys' Patented July 15, 1952 I OYST R Tones I Robert J. Tennis, C arrellton, Va. I I Application January 22,1949, Serial No. 72.245

' This invention relates to. devices for use in tonging. oysters and the like, and is particularly directed to tongs having improved means for connecting the jaws to the handles. ,I

In gathering oysterstongs havinglong. operating handles connected at their lower ends each toone jawiofatwoepart' gathering basket, have long'be'enlusedf. The tonger, usually standing in a boat, sinks the tongs in the water until the jaw portions are touching'bottom. By manipulation of the handles, the tonger loosens the oysters from'the bed while the jaws are open and then by, operating the handles to close the jaws gathers up the oysters into the basket formed by the closed jaws. Forpurposes of strength, the handles are connected to the jaws near the bottom so that the individual wires making up the jaws of the basket may be secured to the handles to retain them in positionand provide the necessary rigidity/for the roughusage of digging and scraping the oysters from the bed. This hampers the operation to 'av great extent, and considerably reduces the capacity of; the closed basket. The handles, being of wood, are of necessityof substantial dimensions to with- I 6 Claims. (01. gate-11s)- stand the strain which is imposedupon them.

The lower-ends of the'handles, projecting to or near the bottom of the jaws, provide inwardly projecting ribs which ,frequently catch oysters betweenjthem and thereby prevent thefull' closing of thejaws. Under these circumstances, the jaws being partially open, the oysters within the jaws spill out so that few if any oysters .are raised to .the surface. I I shifted and manipulated so that the lower edges of the jaws may'be brought together, the space occupied, by the .lower portions of the handles Within the jaws materially reduces the available space within the basket. I

The object of the present invention is to provide. improvedmeans for attachingthe jaws to the"han'dles, so that the requisite strength is maintained, and yet the capacity of the basket.

is greatly increased.' I II A more .specificobject of .the invention isto providef'such means of attachment whereby. the

I handlesinay stop short of the tops of the jaws and. thevstrain carriedbyrelatively thin shanks which" occupy little space within the oystercarrying area of the basket.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the, following description of one embodiment of the invention when taken in conjunction with the drawings which accompany and form, a part of this specif cation.

' In the drawings! a; v I

Figure 1 isaside elevation of tongsfconstructed inaccordance with the" present invention, the handles-being broken away just above their pivotalipointy, U. I Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on the Even if the. tongs areline 2 -2 of Figure 1, the jaws/forming the basket being shown in top plan; and, 1 v I Figure 3 is a vertical section through the bas- 3- 3ofFigure1. v I

Referring to'the drawingsv in detail the tongs comprise the usual basket Ll, composed of-"the jaws 2 and 3, the jaws being'secured upon the lower, ends of handles 4 and 5. The handles are pivotally connected in scissor-like arrangement by'rneansof the pivot 6. It will be understood that the handles employed are sufiiciently lOIlg to enable the tonger to reach bottomwhile standing in a boat, but, in order to enable the important features of the invention to. be illustrated on a reasonable, scale, the upper parts of thehandles have not 'been shown.

ket-forming jaws taken substantially on the line The jaws forming the basket are shown as of length of each jaw. The wire frame of each jawis'concave or dished both vertically and longitudinally togive it capacity to hold oysters. The

teeth of the bars 9 'of'the two jaws are staggered I so that the jaws'will come together.

,The invention consists in the particularmanher of securing the jaws to the lowerends of the handles. Referring particularly to Figure 3 of the drawings, it'will be seen'that the handles terminate short of the tops of theja'ws'i andfare attached to the jawsby means of shanks H].- The shanks are connected to the-handles by means of bolts H and by loop" I2 which closely surround the'handles and the shanks, holding the shanks tightly against the handles and preventing the shanks from moving around the bolts II Shanks 'IO have their corner portions bent, sothat they are undulating or corrugated in efi'ect, to form recesses l3 to receive the basketforming wires 1 to hold the wires in proper verticallyjspaced position. A' backer-wire "l4 may be hooked under the loop [2V and extended downward tohave its lower end fastenedin an opendless. tiTliis' brings the shank; .tothe .=outside of; I

the handle at a point above the top of the jaw.

, occupying very little space and providing a basket of greatly increased capacity. There are no projecting portions, as in the conventional structure where the handles extend to a point substantially at the bottom of the basket, so that the tongs can be manipulated freely, with no chance of the oysters becoming wedged. between extending portions of the handles and; preventing the jaws from closing. The new structure,

by providing seats for the basket wires,v rigidly V 7 supports the wires as their mid-points so that the basket itself is materially strengthened.

While in theabove one practical embodimentof the invention hasbeen disclosed, it will be obvious to-those' skilled in the art to' which it appertains that changes may be made from the precise structure shown within the scope of the appended claims.

1'. Oyster tongs orthe like comprising, a pair: of; crossed handles pivoted. together, a; pair of transversely elongated jawswhich together form a basket to receive and raise oysters to the surface ofthe water, said jaws" being: positioned entirely below the bottom ends of said handles, and. means to connectfrthe; jaws, one each to" a handle, said connecting meanscomprising a strap; depending from the'handle in substantial" align--v ment with the outsideedgeofthe; handle and conformingjto the shape ofthe jaw to'l'eave the capacity or, thejaw unimpaired, and a backer wire 'connectedto 'each handle and extendingbe hind-said jaws and connected tov said straps near the bottomthereofu 2 Oyster tongs or the like comprising, a pair of. crossed handles pivoted together, a pair of transverselyelongated jaws which together form a basket to receive andraiseoyste'rs to the surface of the water, saidjawsbeing positioned en'- tirely below the bottom endslof said handles, meansto connectthe jaws, one.each to a handle, said connectingimeans. comprising a relatively thin strapl bentitolunderliethe bottom of the handle and. reverselybent to dependi substantially in alignment with the outsideedge of the V handle, and abackeriwire connected to each handleand; extending.- behind saidjaws and 'con nected. to saidstraps'near the bottom thereof;

3. Oyster,tongs. or the like comprising, apair of crossed handles pivotedl together,a pairiof transversely elongated jaws whichtogether. form a basket to receive and raiseoystersto thesurface of the water, said] jaws being. positioned entirely below the bottom ends of, said handles, relatively thin straps attachedlto' said. handles 7 and bent ,to underlie the bottomsofthe, handles and reversely bentand dependingtherefromw in substantial alignment each with the outside edge. v of its respective handle, each strap being secured at its lower. end to one of said jaws and conforming to the shape of. the jawsto leave the capacity of. the'jaws;unimpaired, and a backer wire connected to each handle and extending face of the water; said-.jawsriheing entirely below;

7 behind said-jaws connected to said straps the 'ottorn endsiorfsaidhandlesand bein 0ml? n outer edge of said handle, said shank being atr tached at its lower end to said toothed bar, the

lower portion of said shank being bent to form recesses t'oseat the horizontal wires of said jaw to maintain said wires in proper spaced alignment, and a backer-wire secured at its upper end to said collar and at its lower end to said shank and extending' along saidf shank on" the opposite side'oi said wires to maintain said wires in the recessesioi said shank and to strengthen said shank. p Y

5L Oyster tongs or the like comprising, a pair of crossed handles pivoted together, pair of transversely elongated jaws which together form a basket to receive and raisoysters to the sur= face of the -water said jaws being entirely'be'low the bottomends of said handles'and being composed of a series of vertically spacedl horizontal tached', whereby the wires are supported and held spaced relation, and: a tie-wire secured to'each handle, said tie-wires extending along said" strap ontheopposite-sideof said jaw wires and being attached to said strap near the'lower end therebfiwhsreby said tie-wire serves to main": tainsaid jaw jW H'B S iI]. the seats of said" strap and to strengthen said strap.

6; Oystertongs or thelike comprising, a pair of crossed handles pivoted together, a" pair of, transversely elongated "j awswhich together" form a basket to receive 'andjra'ise'" oysters to thesurface of-thewater, saidjaws'being entirely below the bottom ends of] said handles and" being composed of a series of vertically, spaced. horizontal wires, straps, thinner than said'handle's, attached one each to the inner side ofeach handle, each strap'being bent to underlie the bottom ofits handle and reversely bentto depend'from said handle in substantial alignment with; the outside edge of said handle, said? strapbeing at tached atitslower end to'one of sai'dj-awa'said strap having its lower portionbent'toiform a plurality of seats to receive the horizontal wires of the jaw towhich-it' is attached, whereby the wires are supported and heldinfispaced relation, and'a-tie-rwire secured to-each-ha'ndle, said tiewires extending along said strap on the opt c site side of sa-i'djaw wires'yand being attachedto' said strap near the; lower "endithereof, whereby said tie-wire serves to maintainsaid jaw wires in the seats of said strap and-to strengthen said strap.

' V e ROBERTJ; TENNIS? -REFERENES: crsmzo- The following references arle ofcre' cord in ith e" file ,of this patent: a 3 PA M it a Number. Names Date 

